Machine for sewing leather.



No. 792.576. PATBNTED JUNE 13, 1905.

R. N. PLANAGAN.

MACHINE POR SEWING LEATHER.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 30.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F" i G l No. 792,576. PATENTBD JUNE 13, 1905.

R. N. PLANAGAN.

MACHINE POB. SEWING LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30.1904.

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ln/vento@ NrTan STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

ROBERT N. FLANAGAN, OE Cl-IARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO SAID ROBT. N. FLANAGAN AND CHARLES CARROLL, OE BALTIMORE,

MARYLAND.

MACHINE FOR SEWING LEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '792,5 T6, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed August 30, 1904. Serial No. 222,689.

'l0 (LH 7071/0771/ it mfr/y cm1/cern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT N. FLANAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sewing Leather, and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art' to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for sewing leather or other thick heavy material.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character whereby soleleather or other heavy material maybe neatly and evenly sewed or stitched together.

A further object is to provide means whereby the stitches made by said machine may be lengthened or shortened, means being also provided whereby the feeding mechanism will be positively and evenly operated at all times.

Still another object is to provide a machine of this character which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

IVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on a line with the needle-bar, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mechanism for feeding or moving the material being sewed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a base upon which is mounted a suitable frame 2. Said frame 2 consists of a pair of horizontally disposed bars 3, which are connected at their rear end by a cross-bar 4 and at their forward ends are connected to or formed integral with a verticallydisposed plate 5. The lower edge of the plate 5 is screwed or otherwise secured to the base 1. upper end of a supporting leg or standard 6, which is bolted or otherwise secured at its lower end to the base 1.

The bars 3 are connected midway between their ends by an intermediate cross-bar 7. In the cross-bar 7 is formed a guide passage or opening S. In the cross-bar 4 is also provided a guide-passage 9. The passages S and 9 are in alinement, and in the same is slidably mounted a needle-carrying bar 10, on one end of which is arranged a needleclamping device 100. In the opposite end of the bar is formed a notch through which is adapted to be passed a thread 13. The thread 13 extends from a spool which is suitably mounted on a pin 14, fixed to the base 1. From the end of the needle-bar the thread 13 passes around a tension device 15 and from thence through a guide-eye 16 to the needle 17. The needle 17 is secured in the outer end of the needle-bar 10.

The tension device 15 consists of a bolt 18, which is secured to and projects laterally from the rear side of the cross-bar 4, and on said bolt is xedly mounted a convex disk 19, and on the bolt 1S is also loosely mounted a convex disk 20. On the outer end of the bolt 18 is formed threads, and on said end is adapted to be screwed a nut 21. Between the nut 21 and the disk 2O is arranged a coilspring 22, the tension of which is normally eX- erted to force the loosely-mounted disk 2O into engagement with the disk 19 on said bolt, and between the disks is adapted to pass the thread 13. By screwing the nut 21 inwardly or outwardly on the bolt 18 the tension of said spring will be regulated to cause the disks to more or less tightly engage said thread,

On the upper edge of the plate 5 is slidably mounted a toothed rack-bar 23, on the under side of which is formed a longitudinally-disposed groove or channel 24. The groove or channel 24 is adapted to engage the upper edge of the plate 5, thereby holding said bar against lateral movement on said plate. .On

The cross-bar 4 is connected to the' the outer side et the bar 2S is termed a downwardly-projecting [lange to which is secured the upper end of a leather .holding or clamping device Said clamping device consists of an inner aw or plate 26, liXedly connected at its upper end to the llange olE said rack-bar. To the lower end of said fixed j aw or plate 26 is connected the lower end ot a movable jaw or plate 27. Said plates are spaced apart at their lower or connecting ends by means of a spacing-block 2S. In the inner plate 26 is arranged a headed bolt 29, the outer end of which is adapted to project through the outer plate or jaw 27. Upon. said outer end is screwed a clamping-nut 30, which when screwed inwardly upon said bolt is adapted to Yforce the outer jaw-plate toward the inner jaw-plate, thereby clamping between the same the leather or other material being stitched.

On the intermediate cross-bar 7 is mounted a pivoted bar 3l, on the inner end of which is pivotally mounted an operating-lever 32. The inner end ol` the lever 32 is pivotally con.- nected to the needle-bar. Willen said operating-bar is swung upon the bar 31, said needle-bar will be reciprocated backwardly and. forwardly through the bars l and 7 to Vforce the needle carried by the outer end of the same through the leather or other material hold by said clamping device,

ln order that the clamping device carrying the material to be sewed may be shifted or fed along the plate 5 as the stitches are formed in the same, a suitable .feeding mechanism is provided. Said feeding mechanism consists of a block 33, which is lixedly mounted on the outer end of an arm 34, said arm being pivotally mounted at its opposite end on the intermediate cross-bar 7.

ln the outer end et the bar 31 is formed a series oi" apertures 35, to one of which is pivotally connected an arm or link 56, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the arm 34 adjacent to the block 33, so that when the lever 32 `is operated to actuate the needle-bar said arm 34 and bleek 33 will be rocked backwardly and -forwardly above the rack-bar 23. The lower side ol the block S3 is recessed at its outer end, andin said recess is pivotally mounted a series ot pawls or dogs 37. The dogs or pawls 37 are adapted to en gage the teeth on the rack-bar 23, so that when said block 33 is moved in one direction the pawls or dogs 37 will play loosely over the teeth. ol said rack-bar, and when said block is `moved in the opposite direction said pawls will engage the teeth et the rack-bar, thereby Vforcing said bar and leather-clamping devices carried thereby along the plate 5, thus ilieeding the material along in front ol" thc needle, so that the same may lorm even stitches in said material. ln order that the length of the stitches may be changed, the pivotal connection. of the linl: 36 with the bar S1 may be shilted trom one to another of the apertures 35, thereby increasing or diminishing the swing of the arm Het and the movement el' the block 38, thus causing the rack-bar and holding device to be moved to a greater or less degree at each movement el" said block 33, thereby causing stitches to be formed of greater or less length. In order that the shifting or feeding of the rack-bar will not be alleeted by the adjustment of the stitch-changing mechanism, the pawls or dogs 37 are formed ot dili- `ferent lengths, so that at least one of the same will always engage the teeth of the rack-bar.

ln operation the leather to be stitched is clamped between the jaws or plates 26 and 27 oll the clamping device and. the rack-bar 23 adjusted to bring the edge oiz said leather to a position opposite the end ol the needle. The operating-lever is now actuated to reciprocate the needle-bar, and thereby Forcing the needle through the leather'. The ree end of the thread is now grasped and drawn through the .needle-hole in said leather and is clamped or caught beneath a holding device 23S, which is secured to the outer side of the jaw 27 and preferably consists of a spring` steel plate bent upon itsell" to Yform clamping-jaws, between which the end ot the thread is caught The plate is secured to said jaw by means ol" a bolt 3), which passes through said aw and holding device, and on the outer end. ot the bolt is adapted to be screwed a nut 40, by which the jaws formed by the ends of the plate are clamped together. After the needle has been 'forced through the leather at the beginning ol the seam the same is retracted and again l'orced through, carrying therewith a loop of the thread, Through said loop is adapted to be passed the end of the thread which was carried through the leather by the former operation o'l the needle. The needle is new retracted again, thus drawing the loop olf the thread into tight engagement with the end ot the same, thereby forming a stitch, this operation being repeated for each successive sti tch `formed by the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, thc construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood witl'iout requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, jn'oportion, and the minor details ol construction.may be resorted to without departing 'from the principle or sacrilicing any oli` the advantages ol" this invention.

Having thus described my in ven tion,what l claim as new, and desire to secure by lietters Patent, is-

1. ln a machine ot the character described, the combination ot a needle-bar, a movable work-lrolder, a swinging bar, a lever pivotally connected thereto and to the needle-bar,

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a rock-arm7 a link connecting the rock-arm and the swinging bar, a rack connected to the movable work-holder, and a pawl movable with and by the rock-arm and coacting with the rack to impart step-by-step movement to the work-holder.

2. ln a machine for sewing leather, the combination with a suitably-mounted frame, of a needle-bar slidably mounted in the same, an operating-lever pivotallyconnected to said frame and needle-bar to operate the latter, a leather-holding clamp slidably mounted on said frame, feeding mechanism whereby said leather-holding device is moved along to permit the formation of stitches, and means whereby said 'feeding mechanism is adjusted to change the length of said stitches, substantially as described.

ln a machine for sewing leather, the combination with a suitably-mounted frame, of a needle-bar slidably mounted in the same, an operating-lever pivotally connected to said frame and needle-bar whereby the latter may be reciprocated, a rack-bar slidably mounted on said `frame, a leather-holding dcvice Vfixed to said rack-bar, a rocking element pivotally mounted on said 'frame and having a pawl to engage said rack-bar, and means actuated by said operating-lever to operate said rocking element, substantiallyT as dcscribed.

4. ln a machine of the class described, the combination of a needle-bar, a movable work-holder, a swinging bar, a lever pivotally connected thereto andto the needle-bar7 a rock-arm, a link connecting the rock-arm and the swinging bar, a rack connected to the movable work-holder, a pawl movable with and by the rock-arm and coacting with the rack to impart step-by-step movement to the work-holder, and means to vary the length or' the stroke of the rock-arm, substantially as described.

5. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of a needle-bar, a movable work-holder, a swinging bar, a lever pivotally connected thereto and to the needle-bar, a rock-arm, a link connecting the rock-arm and the swinging bar and adjustable angular-ly with respect to one of them to vary the stroke olV the rock-arm, a rack connected to the movable work-holder, and a pawl movable with and by the rock-arm and coacting with the rack to impart step-bystep movement to the work-holder.

6. l'n a machine for sewing leather7 the combination with a suitably-mounted frame7 of a needle-bar slidably mounted in the same, a pivotally-mounted bar arranged on said frame, one end of said bar having formed therein a series of vertically-disposed apertures, an operating-lever pivotally connected to the opposite end of said bar and to said needle-bar7 whereby the latter may be operated, a rack-bar slidably mounted on said frame, a leather-holding device carried by said rack-bar7 an arm pivotally mounted on said frame, pivoted pawls carried by said arm, said pawls being of dillierent lengths, a link pivotally connected at one end to said arm, the opposite end of said links being pivotally and adjustably connected in one of the apertures of the pivoted arm to which said operating-lever is connected, whereby when said operating-lever is moved said arm will be actuated to cause said pawls to engage said rack-bar, substantially as described.

7. ln a machine for sewing leather, the combination with a suitably-mounted frame, of a needle-bar slidably mounted in the same, an operating-lever mounted in said frame to reciprocate said needle-bar, a rack-bar slidably mounted on said frameJ a leather-holding device carried by said rack-bar, an arm pivotally mounted on said frame, a block iiXed on said arm, pawls pivotally mounted in said block to engage said rack-bar, said pawls being of different lengths, mechanism actuated by said operating-lever, to swing said arm and block, thereby causing one or more o'l said pawls to engage the teeth of said rack, and me ans whereby the swinging movement of said arm and block is regulated to cause the same to shift said rack-bar to a greater or less degree thereby changing the length of the stitches formed by the needle7 substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R. N. FLANAGAN. lit-nesses BENJ. G. CowL, L. O. HILTON. 

